Dear all, this is long but important!
http://www.thisiskent...360-detail/story.html
If you recognise the importance of the Port of Dover in this country's history, and its iconic status for those returning to our shores, please help us. The Port of Dover is at great risk of being sold off by Dover Harbour Board to the highest bidder - we are told that there is interest from the French, the Germans and the Chinese. We don't want a Gibraltar-like situation in Kent, we want to run our own port as a Community Land Trust, not to line the pockets of the Fat Cats in Dover Harbour Board. We want Dover's port to benefit the town - the requirements for selling any Trust port are that the sale should have Community benefit, and Sustainability - none of which the DHB proposal evidences. They suggest a 5-year period of investment in our little town - after which, zilch, and no guarantees of a sustainable on-going investment from the Port profits for local people.
http://www.doverport....Public%20document.pdf
this is the website of the viable alternative
http://www.peoplesport.org.uk/
We went to a meeting of the Dover People's Port initiative last night, and we are asked to invite as many people as possible (national, local, or worldwide) to write to the Department for Transport, their MP, Dave, Ed, anyone at the House of Commons and House of Lords, to flood Parliament with objections - if there is sufficient weight, the Minister for Transport has to consider the objections. The Dover People's Port is being supported vociferously by cross-party MPs - our MP Charlie Elphicke, and the Labour peer Lord Maurce Glasman were both on the platform at the meeting last night.
(more on next post)